Daktronics, in conjunction with SMG, was asked by the Pennsylvania Convention Center to provide seven new LED video displays to amplify the guest experience during more than 200 annual events hosted by the facility. The installation took place this summer and the displays are currently sharing messages with visitors and passersby.

“As the world becomes more digitized, our new digital displays will offer our customers a chance to bring that new technology right into their meeting spaces,” said Gregory J. Fox, Esquire, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority. “This installation has heightened the presence of meetings and conventions – as well as the experience of event attendees – in our Broad Street Atrium, which was already a unique and impressive space.”

Six displays featuring 4-millimeter line-spacing are lined on each side of the main entrance in mirror fashion below each escalator to greet visitors to the convention center and to show event specific content. Further inside the entrance, a display along the rear wall features a narrow pixel pitch of 2.5-millimeters that engages guests as they pass by. These displays also show upcoming event information and other abstract content to create a welcoming atmosphere.

“We are pleased to work with Daktronics, the world’s premier digital signage company, in bringing a premier amenity to our customers,” said Kelvin D. Moore, CMP, Regional General Manager for SMG, the nation’s leading public facility manager which oversees the day-to-day operations of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. “We are very pleased with the response we are receiving from our customers.”

Two displays along the bottom of the atrium’s staircases measure 2 feet high by 34 feet wide. The next two displays above that area measure 2 feet high by 28 feet wide, while the top two displays measure 2 feet high by 16.5 feet wide. The narrow pixel pitch display in the rear of the atrium measures approximately 8 feet high by 14 feet wide. The combination of displays provides crisp, clear imagery to wow visitors to every event and to passersby.

“SMG, the venue management group for the convention center, presented Daktronics with a challenge of how to attract greater awareness of the building’s Broad Street entrance from the significant outdoor audience,” said Peter Dunkle, Daktronics sales representative. “The challenge was to attract interest through design, display brightness and content, yet also blend in and keep in style with the iconic architecture of the building’s interior. Working together with SMG, we believe that we’ve accomplished these goals while also incorporating additional effects that Daktronics can achieve through our master Show Control System.”

Daktronics Creative Services, an in-house, award-winning creative team, worked closely with the convention center to produce event-specific content as well as Philadelphia-specific content for the new system. The content produced includes a welcome message and template, upcoming events template, a logo treatment, artistic elements and treated footage of the Pennsylvania area in an ink reveal fashion.

“We really wanted to create content that showcased a more artistic interpretation for this project,” said Ethan Sevilla, Creative Services account manager. “We are able to use the displays as seven different canvases or we can use multiple displays as larger canvases by accounting for the space between the displays and creating content as if they were whole. It leads to some cool effects with all the displays working together when an individual is standing near the entryway.”

About the Author

R.V. Baugus is senior editor of IAVM's magazine, Facility Manager. Baugus is a 12-time Quill Award winner from the Dallas chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and Silver Quill recipient from the Southern Region of IABC. He is devoted in his community by serving as a deacon at his church, a facilitator leading a Grief Share class, high school football public address announcer for the Irving ISD and basketball PA announcer for Nimitz High School.